The river that came back
A text in Persian at level B1. The translation sits next to it for checking, not for support: at this level the text is read whole, and an unknown word is usually guessed from the sentence. By the river stood an old factory. For years its wastewater poured into the river. The fish disappeared, and the water…
Text
- کنار رود, کارخانهای قدیمی بود. فاضلاب کارخانه سالها در رود میریخت. ماهیها از بین رفتند و آب بوی بد گرفت. مردم نامه نوشتند و موضوع حل شد. حالا فاضلاب از کارخانه بیرون نمیآید. ماهیها برگشتند و کنار رود فضای سبز ساختند.kenâree rud, kârkhâneyi gadimi bud. fâzelâbe kârkhâne sâlhâ dar rud mi-rekht. mâhiha az beyn raftand â âb buye bad gereft. mardâm nâme naveshtand â mavzu hal shâd. hâlâ fâzelâb az kârkhâne birân nemi-âyad. mâhiha bargâshtand â kenâree rud fâzâe sebz sâkhtand.By the river stood an old factory. For years its wastewater poured into the river. The fish disappeared, and the water began to smell bad. The residents wrote a letter, and the matter was settled. Now the wastewater from the factory does not go out. The fish returned, and the river bank gained greenery.
Comprehension questions
The questions are asked in Russian on purpose: we test your understanding of the text, not your ability to read the question.
- What stood by the river?
- Where did the wastewater flow?
- What did the people do?
- What has become of the river now?
Frequently asked
What level do you need to read this text in Persian?
B1. That means: everyday topics are behind you, you know about three thousand words, and an unknown word is more often guessed from the sentence than looked up.
How to read a text in an unfamiliar language usefully?
First all the way through without peeking at the translation — just to catch the familiar words. Then with the translation. Then all the way through again: the second pass brings noticeably more, and that feeling matters more than any rule.